The next IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting will take place 3-7 July in London with biofouling guidelines ready for adoption and a protocol for ballast water compliance monitoring devices
The approval of biofouling guidelines and a protocol for ballast water monitoring devices was granted by the Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 10) during its meeting 24-28 April 2023, prior to the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The biofouling guidelines were initially adopted in 2011, and a review was initiated by MEPC 72 in 2018 to incorporate the most recent research and best practices.
PPR 8 agreed in 2021 that the biofouling guidelines should be revised.
The 2023 Biofouling Guidelines, which enhance and update the previous version with the aim of strengthening it and increasing its uptake, will be presented for adoption to MEPC 80 (3-7 July 2023).
Furthermore, PPR 10 agreed to establish guidance on in-water cleaning in a future session.
PPR 10 suggested the target year of completion for the guidance should be extended to 2025 and it should be renamed, "Development of guidance on matters relating to in-water cleaning," and invited explicit proposals on the separate guidance. Member States and international organisations were also urged to submit relevant information on best practices for biofouling inspections and cleaning actions to IMO as it becomes available in the future.
Additionally, PPR 10 approved a draft protocol for verifying ballast water compliance monitoring devices, which will be presented to MEPC 80 for approval. The protocol is an important tool for supporting the efficient implementation of the Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) by allowing the use of devices for various purposes that meet a common quality standard.
These include testing ballast water management systems during commissioning, port state control inspections, and ships’ self-monitoring.
The PPR Sub-Committee worked intensively, including in a dedicated Correspondence Group, over several years to develop the protocol.
Finally, the PPR Sub-Committee also agreed to a draft unified interpretation of the International Ballast Water Management Certificate form and regulations B-3.5 and B-3.10 of the BWM Convention.
This interpretation pertains to the ’date of construction’ for a vessel that has undergone significant conversion to implement the BWMC. The unified interpretation will be submitted to MEPC 80 for approval.
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